Rukavishnikov Estate

With its highly ornate blue and white classical facade overlooking the Volga, this manor house must have been the envy of its neighbours. Recently restored to something resembling its former glory in the 19th century, it is an illustration of how the other half lived in Tsarist Nizhny Novgorod. Not all rooms can be photographed; among those that can is the ballroom, a treat for the imagination of anyone who's read about glittering parties and lavish balls in pre-Revolution Russia.